Amazon Recruits Laid-Off Workers for AI and Cloud Roles

Amazon is actively recruiting former employees—including workers it previously laid off—to fill positions in its artificial intelligence and cloud computing divisions, according to internal recruiter emails obtained by Business Insider.

One message sent last month came from a recruiter in Amazon's AI agent organization, which reports to AWS Vice President Swami Sivasubramanian. The recruiter solicited former employees with AI and machine learning backgrounds for open positions under what was described as "Swami's Boomerang Reengagement Initiative." Another recruiter from AWS Finance offered a former employee an expedited interview process and asked whether Amazon's return-to-office requirements had influenced their departure.

"A lot has changed since you were here, and there's some really compelling work happening across AI/ML right now," one email stated.

Not a new program

Amazon spokesperson Haley Silva told Business Insider that rehiring former employees is an established practice across the company, not a recently launched initiative specific to AI or cloud computing. Silva confirmed that people Amazon previously laid off may be among those contacted, but emphasized the outreach is driven by open headcount rather than efforts to recapture workers who left over office attendance policies.

"We're always interested in connecting with talented people — both new candidates and former Amazonians — for open roles," Silva said.

The company has eliminated more than 30,000 positions through multiple layoff rounds in the past year, representing some of the deepest job cuts in Amazon's history. Earlier this year, Amazon cut positions in its artificial general intelligence unit while announcing a broader round affecting approximately 16,000 employees across the company.

Why it matters

Amazon's targeted recruitment of former employees signals the intensity of competition for AI talent among major tech companies. The company's mandatory five-day in-office policy has created recruiting challenges, with Business Insider previously reporting that candidates have chosen lower-paying positions at competitors offering greater remote work flexibility. By tapping its alumni network, Amazon gains access to workers already familiar with its systems and culture—a significant advantage when racing against Google, OpenAI, Meta, and Anthropic to build AI capabilities. The approach also suggests the company recognizes it may have lost valuable talent through layoffs that preceded the current AI boom.

Broader hiring trend

The outreach reflects wider changes in corporate hiring practices. Returning employees represented 35% of U.S. new hires in March 2025, up from 31% a year earlier, according to ADP payroll data. In the tech sector specifically, they accounted for nearly two-thirds of new hires over that period. ADP noted that returning workers typically bring scarce skills and ramp up more quickly than external candidates.

Amazon floated the concept of rehiring laid-off workers in 2023, when AWS HR Vice President Ian Wilson told employees that many workers who had lost their jobs were eligible for rehire and suggested the company explore proactive outreach to former staff interested in returning.

These details were first reported by Business Insider.